Monday — 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
SPRING : May 9th-June 6th, 2022 (5 classes)*
Contact Mona to register
$15 per class // 65$ for 5 classes // Reduced rate possible (contact Mona for more info)
Payment cash or e-transfer: monahusseini9@gmail.com
Class in English
*May 30th, the class will be taught by Camille Lacelle-Wilsey
Mask recommended – please consult Studio 303’s COVID-19 Protocol for further information.
CONTENT // I have been practicing a routine I call “Morning Questions” where I look at a structure in the human body and then I wonder. I embody the questions in stillness, in motion, in rhythm, in relationship to other structures, the space, and others. In my movement technique, I attempt to connect the diverse approaches I have studied and retained such as The Axis Syllabus, Martial Arts, and Traditional Dance forms.
In this lab we will look within at the intricate splendor of the human body and question the way it functions in quotidien and dance contexts. We will typically depart from an anatomical motif and explore its diverse biomechanical functions using improvisation, repetition and rhythmical dance phrases in vertical, horizontal, and in-between planes. We will use the floor as a guiding companion to carry, catch, and sequentially propel us to a shared dance in space.
*LAAB, when pronounced in Arabic, means play. I use it to highlight joy.
ACCESSIBILITY // This class is open to all levels and bodies with various movement backgrounds. It includes individual exploration in place and in space, coming together in movement as a group, and rhythmical dance phrases that go in a loop in space. Exercises go to and from the floor and vary in degrees of speed, dynamic, and rhythm. There is certainly room for improvisation, interpretation, and creative expression. The class will include sufficient warm up to prepare participants for what is to follow. Some of the exercises will be on the floor, some will be in a vertical orientation (standing), while others will go to and from the floor. We will deconstruct the biomechanics of changing levels across anatomical and spatial planes, as well as gait, weight change, and falling. We will use paper and pen, drawing and writing as creative tools that complement the movement practice. The energy of the class will likely depart from a tender tune in, followed by an active warm up that will prepare us to ride the following energy waves till the end of class. A portion of the class will likely be in silence but most of it will be accompanied by music. This class is mainly taught in English.
BIO // Mona El Husseini is an Egyptian-Canadian Contemporary Dance artist based in Montreal. She completed her professional dance education at the Cairo Contemporary Dance Center in Cairo, Egypt and studied International Business and Contemporary Dance at Concordia University. In the creative process, Mona goes beyond the dance and traces the thread that connects the forms of art that she practices, some of which include: Martial Arts, Visual Arts, and Writing. She is an active member of the Axis Syllabus International Research Network and continues to follow research-based practices that nurture questioning and experimenting. In un-layering questions of personal identity and heritage, Mona is interested in how stories are transmitted, shared, and told through generations. She finds the dance in the place where the inner and outer meet, the traditional and the contemporary converse, and the encounter between the personal and the collective.
https://morningquestions.wixsite.com/website
Evening classes are open to all levels, and it is recommended to register in advance for one or multiple classes.
Registration is done directly with the teachers, please contact them if you need additional information.